WORKSHOP

School Improvement Plans

Chapter 180-20-220 of the Washington Administrative Code sets forth requirements that are distilled into Woodland School Board Policy 2005, which requires annual approval of School Improvement Plans for each school in the district. 

This fall, all Woodland schools have been engaged in a data-driven process of plan development.   

Several years ago, our schools engaged in a comprehensive planning process that resulted in binder-sized collections of evidence, goals, plans, strategies, and tactics.   These documents were beautifully and thoughtfully developed with all intention of driving improvement.   Because of the cumbersome nature of these plans schools found it difficult to maintain focus and energy toward the attainment of myriad goals.   

Over the past few years, the School Board has adopted a renewed vision statement, specific and challenging district performance goals, and clear indicators of what it means for schools to be ready for Career and Life and College.

In the development of the new School Improvement Plans, our school leaders harnessed the Board Adopted Vision, Goals, and Indicators as a foundational framework for Plan development.

The School Plans which will be reviewed with the board are:

• ALIGNED — You will see that both district goals and school goals are structured within the framework of the CLC Indicators.
• STRATEGIC — Peter Senge, Author of The Fifth Discipline, wrote about the principle of "Leverage" — Seeing where actions and changes in structures can lead to significant, enduring improvements... where often, results come not from large-scale efforts by from small well-focused actions.
• STRAIGHT FORWARD (or, KISS -"Keep It Simple Schoolfolk", or  "Less is More") — Schools are complex systems.  The work of teaching children and leading schools is incredibly complicated.   School improvement that is too complex and too comprehensive is destined to be lost in the busy and occasionally frenetic day-to-day operation of schools.  You will note that each school has only three or four specific goals. They fit on a single page. This will allow schools to maintain focus and energy on the work they are doing to improve outcomes for kids.

We have eight (8) documents attached for board review.

1) A District Overview of the School improvement goals.   This overview is presented within the framework of the CLC Indicators.

2-8) Each School's Improvement Plan.  These address some of the "other" mandated elements of the plans; additionally, they provide more detail on specific action steps that buildings will take to attain their goals.

Columbia Elementary School

North Fork Elementary School

Yale Elementary Schools

Woodland Middle School

Woodland High School

Lewis River Academy

TEAM High School